Whiteport
In response to the rising trade with Blackport to the south, Avalot and the Pinelands founded the city of Whiteport in 536 AU to combat the grip on trade the Pale Reach had acquired. Since its founding, it has exploded in growth particularly in the fishing industry. It has changed hands in ownership several times but is currently in the pocket of Prime Minister Kenneth Deshotel and his family. History After the sacking of Blackport in 534 AU, the eastern nations were struggling to create their own powerful port to influence trade on the seas. After consulting various nobles in Avo, Avalot and the Pinelands hired several well-to-do families to establish a powerful port city for trading with the west. The Keppels and the Deshotels were both fundamental in not only building the city itself but competing successfully with their rival of Blackport. Thanks to a steady supply of ships from the Pinelands, the port was able to maintain proper transport throughout the Eastern Territories with the protection of the Landsmen fleet. By 540 AU, the city had gotten so powerful that the Pale Reach had to act else they would lose complete control over the eastern seas with Blackport. It could be said that the creation of Whiteport directly inspired the Treeblood War in some regards. During the war, the nobles of Whiteport did all they could to properly supply their southern monarchies in the coming battles, including providing safe harbor for Queen Victoria and her fleet. When the war finally ended in 552 AU, the city was offered a special seat in the Court of Nobles for their service to the crown. While the Keppels took the opportunity to join the Court, the Deshotels opted to stay in the city and manage the port. The long term result was the Deshotels having a much stronger grip on the city politics than their rival family. Fracture For over a hundred years, the two families continued to compete with each other for total control over the port, with the Deshotel always remaining just slightly ahead. The city remained untouched from the conflict within Avo in 655 AU when King Alric Dacre was assassinated. Following the resolution, the Serell family began looking for a potential pawn they could use in the Court of Nobles as a puppet leader. Believing that the Deshotel family has a prime target, and well enough established given their status in Whiteport, they offered an olive branch to the current heir to the family, Kenneth Deshotel. Kenneth accepted and eventually outsmarted the family by getting to reveal their plans for him on the first night. It didn't take long for Kenneth to earn the respect of most of the other nobles and he went on to become the first elected Prime Minister of the Court of Nobles in 656 AU. During the chaos between Avalot and Pokol in 658 AU, the city was entirely unaware of the Midnight Hands base of operations directly north of the city along the White Cliffs. The Ninth Barbarian Invasion When the Westwardens invaded in 658 AU, Avo was in a state of emergency as it prepared for siege. Whiteport was instrumental in providing supplies to the capital as they gathered their armies. The entire city underwent a "witch hunt" for members of the Midnight Hands, according to orders by Deshotel. During the actual invasion, the city was left mostly untouched save for a handful of barbarians who were swiftly dealt with by the local militia. At the end of the end in 659 AU, when Kenneth Deshotel died, Mary the Mute made sure to bury him at his home and left a statue to honor him for his service to Avalot. The statue still stands today and many Deshotels hold it as a symbol of pride. Leadership of Whiteport went to Kenneth's next of kin, his younger brother Lenrick Deshotel. Layout Whiteport is based entirely around the large docks on the coast of the eastern sea. The city is very modern and simply designed for ease of access for the many ships that visit it. There are large buildings along the docks for storage, particularly for the largest export of the city, fish. The Deshotel manor is in the southern part of the city and is complete with its own massive courtyard. It is located near the graveyard, where Kenneth Deshotel's memorial was eventually placed. The city is also near the many white cliffs in the northern sea line, where there dozens of caves that smugglers use. There are very few towers in the city, and most of the houses are designed to withstand the rough seas and waves. The white gardens of the city are full of trees which are a direct import of the Pale Reach, planted just to spite the nation.